Gilgel Gibe I is a 184 MW hydro power station in Oromiya, Ethiopia. It is operated by Ethiopian Electric Power Corp [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 184k homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 15 Ethiopia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2004, it is around 22 years old — relatively modern. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 96.5% of Ethiopia's electricity; the national grid averages 23 gCO₂/kWh (100.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000059.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000601592; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 184 MW, Gilgel Gibe I is well above the median hydro plant in Ethiopia (153 MW). Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Ethiopia hydro capacity
- 4.8% of 3,797 MW across 11 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 5 of 11 dated hydro plants in Ethiopia are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Ethiopia
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Ethiopian Electric Power Corp [100%].
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 7.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 100% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 13/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #5 largest hydro power plant of 11 in Ethiopia by capacity.
Ethiopia has 11 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 3,797 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Gilgel Gibe II · Hydro · 420 MW · Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
- Gilgel Gibe III · Hydro · 1,870 MW · Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
- Yayu power station · Coal · 90 MW · Oromia
Location
Coordinates 7.8349, 37.3236 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Gilgel Gibe I?
Gilgel Gibe I is a 184 MW hydro power plant in Oromiya, Ethiopia, commissioned in 2004.
Who operates Gilgel Gibe I?
Gilgel Gibe I is operated by Ethiopian Electric Power Corp [100%].